'Policy' schools v. 'hands-on' schools

Hey All,

I'm somewhat new to the forums, but have been reading a lot of you talk about how certain schools (UIC) are all policy based, while others have more of a 'hands-on' approach. Was just wondering what criteria you use to determine the focus of a university's program- do you rely on the coursework, the faculty, etc.?

If you could shed some light on the subject, and help me differentiate between the two it would be much appreciated. I'm trying to narrow down the schools I want to apply to from Rutgers, MIT, Berkeley, UIC, NYU, Hunter, Harvard, Penn, Tufts, Columbia, and UMich, and would like to attend a school that has a strong policy focus, particularly in transportation.

I know this is late, but in case you are still curious I know that UC Berkeley has a great Transportation Research Center and the Master's Program students are heavily involved in the policy side of planning. Also, I know you didn't mention UCLA, but they have a great focus on Transportation Planning & Policy that is well respected in the profession. Just some food for thought from California.

I know this is late, but in case you are still curious I know that UC Berkeley has a great Transportation Research Center and the Master's Program students are heavily involved in the policy side of planning. Also, I know you didn't mention UCLA, but they have a great focus on Transportation Planning & Policy that is well respected in the profession. Just some food for thought from California.